Application of Transect Approach in Zoning for Implementation of Design-Led Planning

During the last decade, upon formation of the design-led planning approach, the necessity of simultaneous and interactive consideration of urban planning and design was proposed. Since organizing the physical form of the city is one of the main elements of urban design, the recognition of city's physical features and the design of the built form became a focus towards the elevation of the urban environment's quality. The implication of this paradigm shift in zoning, as the strongest planning executive tool, was the introduction of the transect approach in which, other physical elements of the built environment -as well as the land use- are taken into account. In Iran, all the efforts towards preparation of design-oriented urban development plans and realization of this quality-oriented approach are neutralized by the dominance of the conventional land use-led and quantity-oriented zoning approach. The present paper, aiming at explaining the concept of transect zoning and introducing it as an approach for Implementation of the design-led planning, applies the urban morphology analyses as an analytical method to determine transect zones and describes the defining elements of the zones according to local circumstances. Such defining elements of the zones can be prescribed for more appropriate and aware allocations on the basis of the objectives of the urban development plans. Finally, the transect zones of the study areas, in District 1 of Isfahan city, are determined on the basis of the above mentioned elements.